Tag Archives: road trips

A big thank you to another one of Christine Ray’s fine works, as a particular memory was triggered today.

~*~

Over twenty years ago, my husband and I were on our honeymoon.

I know. I have already shocked you in that first line. Or maybe I mean, me. I’m shocked.
Not just that we have been married for over twenty years. But because it wasn’t too long ago that life existed without GPS. And cell phones!

We did a camping road trip. Through the SW of Colorado and into Arizona and Utah. And probably New Mexico.
With dodgy maps. And a simple desire to just keep driving and camp when we were tired.

The amount of natural beauty we encountered was rather overwhelming for this young whipper snapper from Australia, and I would have been happy to camp anywhere, just to hug the earth. Or whatever…(Note to self, find out what the heck “whipper snapper” means. Good Lord, I’ve used it for years so recklessly…)

One night, we found ourselves in Kanab, Utah. We decided to stay in a hotel and found a place that evidently was a resort to the stars. You know, in the 50s. When they were there to film westerns. Everyone’s favourite genre. Well, at least in ‘the Lego Movie’.

What an incredible coincidence that I had bought a swim suit that looked like it was from the 50s…

We decided to swim in the pool.
Best decision we could have made.

Because a storm came up.
Out of the blue of Utah skies.

A thunderous lightning hurled rage of patio furnitureslow motioned right in front of us in the deepening darkness. My husband gently suggested we leave the pool…

(Kids, it’s past your bed time. I’ll give you a moment. Don’t forget to put the cat out. Or whatever you do with your cat.)

That’s right. I didn’t leave the pool.
(Something kids should not try at home, apparently. It was something I never considered before, as I often liked swimming in the ocean in the dark and in storms, and rain and whatnot. I guess you could say we were raised by people with differing parenting styles…).

But I convinced my husband we were safer in the pool, and if debris flew our way, we could dive into the “safety” of the water. I think that is the moment he realised he had, in fact, married a genius.

(This was the cassette I played the most on that trip if I remember rightly. I loved the title song. It is based on a Maori legend, I believe. Once again, please don’t correct me if I am wrong. I like thinking that).

There is something excitingAbout leaving everything behindThere is something deep and pullingLeaving everything behindSomething about having everythingYou think you’ll ever needSitting in the seat next to you

There isYelling of an engine a constant rattling doorThere is serious deep and mumbledA conversation I’m not inFlickering lights shadows of treesMakes me blink my eyesMakes the land appear like a really old movieAnd I watch…